


Overpriced Coffee

by LinksLipsSinkShips



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: AU where they meet as adults, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Fluff, M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Tropetastic Tuesday, barista!rhett, frugal!link, manbun!rhett, tropetastic tuesday 18
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-04
Updated: 2017-12-01
Packaged: 2018-11-23 11:29:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11401590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LinksLipsSinkShips/pseuds/LinksLipsSinkShips
Summary: Link Neal doesn't buy overpriced coffee.





	1. Chapter 1

Link Neal doesn’t buy overpriced coffee.

He can brew a perfectly good pot at home, and he’s far too frugal to spend $5.00 for a large-grande-venti-giant-whatever-the-hell-they-want-to-call-it trendy latte. He has his standards, and those standards include not getting price gouged for a caffeine fix.

Maybe it was the rain, the cold chill soaking him down to the bones, that led him into this coffee shop, then. Hell, maybe it was fate. But it was probably just the rain.

When he reached the front of the line, he looked up from his shoes. His eyes landed solidly on a gray henley that fit just a little bit too well around every muscle. He scanned up slowly until his eyes reached the face that towered a solid 7 inches above his own, into piercingly beautiful eyes that were green? Gold? He wasn’t sure he could pin down exactly what color they were. He was so consumed by them that it took the barista reaching across the counter to tap his hand, shifting his focus onto the fact that the barista had asked him who knows how many times what he wanted.  _ Oh. Coffee. Right. _

“I’ll take… um… dammit... “ he mumbled, having completely forgotten what it was he intended to order. “Large black coffee?”

“Sure, no problem,” a low voice came from the man in front of him, who looked perfectly suited to his space in this coffee shop. He had a full beard, and his hair was pulled back into a man bun. He wouldn’t have been Link’s type, far too… well, everything. Hipster? Male? Tall? But somehow all of his pieces-- the henley, the beard, the man bun, the voice, the eyes, those damn eyes-- just totally did it for Link. If only for the few seconds that he was waiting for the coffee, he would let his gaze linger. “What’s the name?”

“Oh. Link.”

Within seconds, the man passed him a large cup rather than setting it on the counter. Their hands brushed as he reached for it, then ducked outside back into the rain. It wasn’t until he sat the cup down on his desk at the office that he saw a small heart beneath his name, perfectly-spelled. No one ever gets it right. They always write “Leak” instead, failing to pick up on the ‘n’ due to Link’s slight southern drawl.  _ Who would even name their kid “Leak” anyway? _

* * *

Link Neal sometimes buys overpriced coffee.

It wasn’t raining. Link wasn’t cold, wasn’t needing to warm up and duck out of the rain for a few minutes. No, it was brilliantly sunny outside. So why was he in this coffee shop? He had no idea. Well, no idea until he got to the counter and felt a flutter of excitement when he was that Manbun was back behind the counter. Link didn’t know his name, didn’t really need to. This wasn’t going to happen again.

“Large coffee again today, Link, was it? Maybe something new?”  _ He remembered? _

“Large coffee would be great.” Link handed over the cash, and within seconds, the cup appeared. Once again, their hands brushed, lingering a little more this time. This time Link didn’t even get to the door before turning to see that his cup had his name, a little heart, and a message to “Have a great day!” Link smiled.  _ I’m not going back tomorrow, though. _

The next morning, Link had ducked back in. It was a Saturday, and he didn’t need to get coffee before work. Why was he even there?  _ I have a coffee maker at home. This is so stupid! _ Link mentally kicked himself, but all of that stopped when he approached the counter.

“Let me guess… Large coffee?”

“Actually, today, maybe I’ll go for something different. What’s good?” Link didn’t need to hurry, and he was interested in finding out what else the coffee shop had.

“How about I make you my favorite drink?” The man smiled, and it was a smile that extended past his mouth, giving a lift to his cheeks and crinkling up the corners of his eyes. It was one of those smiles where someone smiles with their entire face, not just their mouth, and it made Link smile back. Link agreed and passed his debit card over. “If you’d like to take a seat, I’d be happy to bring it over to you.”

Link found a small table in a corner, propping his foot on the rung of the chair he was in. He pulled a book from his bag, some self-improvement book a friend had recommended about the Ego. “That’s a good one,” Manbun said.  _ Mental note, I have GOT to find out his name so I stop mentally referring to him as ‘Manbun.’  _ He placed the coffee drink and a muffin in front of Link.

“Oh, I didn’t…” he started, but Manbun cut him off.

“It’s on the house. Do you mind if I join you? My break just started and there aren’t really any empty tables.”

“Sure, yeah, that’d be great.” Link smiled, placing his bookmark in his book and setting it aside.

“I’m Rhett. Like Brett, but without the B.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Rhett.” Link fidgeted with his cup, twirling the sleeve on it. When he turned it, he saw a note in place of his name.  _ I like your eyes, Link. _ Link smiled and blushed, and it seemed that Rhett noticed.

“I’ve never seen you around here before. New to the area?”

“No, I’m new to, well, I’m new to actually buying coffee from a coffee shop.” Link quietly admitted, biting his tongue to keep from saying  _ I’m only buying this overpriced coffee every day as an excuse to see you. _

“Yeah, I get that. It can get kind of expensive or whatever, a lot of folks like to just make their own at home. But with the right touch, it can really be some great stuff, y’know? I’d like to think that someday I’ll make it well enough to inspire people to keep coming in.” Rhett pondered, turning the thought over in his mind. Link wondered how the man could possibly think that he wasn’t already inspiring people to come in every day. After all, Link had been here the past few days, and he didn’t buy overpriced coffee. It was his rule.

“If this is any indication of what you can create, then you definitely inspire me to come back. What is this, anyway?” Link felt a cornucopia of flavors on his palate. Coffee, obviously. White chocolate, maybe? And something else, something he couldn’t quite put his finger on, that seemed to highlight all the right notes of the coffee and white chocolate.

“It’s a blackberry white mocha. It isn’t on the menu, but it’s my favorite drink.” Rhett smiled, clearly enjoying the fact that Link liked this special, secret drink. “I have to get back to work now, but I hope I’ll see you again sometime.”

“Rhett, wait!” Link slipped the cardboard sleeve off of his cup, scribbling his phone number onto it and handing it to Rhett. It wasn’t until Rhett walked away that he noticed the sleeve said something more than just the number.  _ The coffee is incredible, but I’ve been coming here because of you. _

* * *

 

Link Neal bought overpriced coffee every single day, sometimes twice a day.

Before work, he’d stop in to see Rhett, making sure to get his new favorite drink, the blackberry white mocha. Sometimes on his lunch break, he’d stop in again, get the same drink in decaf, because he could never stay away for very long. Rhett would plan his own breaks around Link’s lunches, and sometimes they’d slip outside, hold hands and have a quick chat. Rhett would plant a soft kiss on the cheek before heading back inside to work. Link could tell the coffee shop was his passion, could hear it in his voice as he shared his dreams of someday owning a coffee shop of his own as they talked on their first date.

He’d heard Rhett talk about how he had been saving up for that coffee shop for years, every tip he got going into the Shop Fund jar on his dresser, sharing his ideas on exactly what the coffee shop would look like as he and Link cuddled on the couch and shared Thai food. Six months together, and Link couldn’t imagine how empty, how boring his life might be if he hadn’t walked into that coffee shop on that cold, rainy day.

When Rhett moved in, they saved up together, talking about how they'd by a coffee shop first and a house later. Priorities.

* * *

 

Link Neal-McLaughlin doesn’t buy overpriced coffee.

When your husband owns a successful coffee shop, you always get your drinks for free.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to killthenaughtyboy for encouraging me to continue this one, and for their donation to help fund ALS Research.

Rhett McLaughlin doesn’t flirt with customers.

It’s a personal policy of his, and it’s probably corporate policy, too, but he’d have to double-check. Everyone else does it, he knows that, he’s seen Ellie and Chase flirt with whatever the heck cute-hipster-hat-and-tattooed-sleeves guy or cute-messy-bun-and-yoga-pants-and-perky-grin girl that comes in on any given day. But he has standards, and those standards include not making eyes at some customer just because they’re cute.

Maybe it was the rain outside, the feeling of loneliness that starts to set in when you’re bored and wondering where you’re life is going that led him to let his mind wander, then. Hell, maybe it was fate. But it was probably just the rain.

As Rhett took orders, he couldn’t help but notice a man in line, one he’d never seen before. He knew all of his regulars and this was no regular. He had skinny jeans, rolled at the ankle just so, and a graphic tee. The look on his face screamed all-business but his style was casual, like he was both late for a meeting and ready for a day at the park. As he reached the front of the line, he didn’t look up, didn’t seem to notice. Rhett cleared his throat once, then another time, before tapping his hand. A startled look crossed the man’s face as he looked up, looked Rhett right in the eyes. Rhett looked back into his piercingly cerulean eyes.  _ Damn _ .

“I’ll take… um… dammit…” the man mumbled, like he’d never set foot in a coffee shop before. Rhett tried to stifle a giggle. “Large black coffee?” He asked it like a question, like he might be unsure that coffee shops actually carry large black coffees at all.

“Sure, no problem,” Rhett said. The way the man shifted made him seem like he was uncomfortable in a coffeehouse for some reason. His hair was dark, near-black, but had silver streaks in the front that made it clear he wasn’t quite as young as his clothing made him out to be. This wasn’t a millennial with a start-up, but instead someone closer to Rhett’s age, Rhett nearing 40 and still not where he wanted to be in life. But his perfect blend of slender frame and muscular strength that showed when he moved, his voice and the way he licked his lips, the eyes, those damn eyes, well, it was all doing it for Rhett. If only for the few seconds that he was making the coffee, he would let his gaze linger. “What’s the name?”

“Oh. Link.”

Rhett scribbled the name on the cup. He wasn’t sure what possessed him, but he added a tiny heart beneath it. Within seconds, Rhett was passing him a large cup. He usually set it on the counter, but for some reason, he felt the need to pass it, to hand it directly to Link. Their hands brushed as Link reached for it, and before Rhett knew it, the moment passed and Link was ducking outside back into the rain. He moved on to the next customer, one of his regulars who stopped in each morning.

“Hi, Stevie. Large mocha, soy milk, no whip?”

“You know me well, Rhett,” she replied as he punched her order into the cash register. She already had the money ready, and Rhett was thankful. His mind was still on the silver-cool stranger, Link.

* * *

 

Rhett McLaughlin sometimes flirts with customers.

It wasn’t raining outside. Rhett couldn’t really blame the loneliness that rain brought today. No, it was brilliantly sunny outside. So why was he staring at the man standing in his line? He had no idea. Well, he actually had  _ some  _ idea. He was cute. Rhett had to admit that. Rhett was sure that it wasn’t mutual, but he let himself look anyway. He was sure the stranger wouldn’t be back again, but he was going to enjoy looking while it lasted.

“Large coffee again today, Link, was it? Maybe something new?” Rhett remembered. Rhett knew his regular customers orders, not usually new customers, but Link’s near-question at whether or not he could order coffee in a coffeeshop was endearing and stuck in Rhett’s mind.

“Large coffee would be great.” Link handed the cash over, and Rhett took it, then poured the drink. It only took seconds-- large coffees were quick and easy to grab-- and when their hands brushed again, they lingered. Was it Rhett lingering? Link? Both? Rhett tried to catch Link’s expression to see if he even noticed the message he’d left on the cup, a simple “Have a great day!” and a small heart. Link turned away too quickly, but Rhett thought maybe, just maybe the slight twitch of his ears was indication of a smile. He hoped so, anyway.

When Link ducked in the next morning, Rhett was taken aback. It was a Saturday, and Rhett wasn’t supposed to be working that day, anyway, taking Chase’s shift because he had a personal thing to handle. Rhett mentally thanked himself for taking the shift so he could see Link, if only for the half-second it took to pour his typical large coffee.

“Let me guess… Large coffee?”

“Actually, today, maybe I’ll go for something different. What’s good?” Rhett was almost stunned speechless. The casual way Link carried himself today was a far cry from the stiff, nervous guy with shaky hands who had stopped in twice before.

“How about I make you my favorite drink?” Rhett smiled. He wanted to impress Link, to give him the perfect drink, and he knew his favorite was always a hit. Link smiled back, his grin exposing his sharp canines, his eyes sparkling behind his glasses, and Rhett felt near-giddy. Link agreed to let Rhett surprise him, passing his debit card over. “If you’d like to take a seat, I’d be happy to bring it to you.” Rhett glanced at the clock on the wall over Link’s shoulder. It was almost his break time.

He watched Link find a small table in the corner, propping his foot on the rung of the chair casually and pulling a book from his bag.

“Hey, can I take my break now?” Rhett asked, knowing he was due for one. He’d been on his feet for hours now, and he knew he’d be able to take it.

“Sure thing, go ahead and take your 15 after this drink.”

Rhett nodded and made the drink, pulling a coffee sleeve from the stack. He was nervous, but scribbled a quick message anyway. “I like your eyes.”  _ God, that’s lame.  _ Rhett considered throwing it away and trying again, or not writing anything at all, but his manager turned toward him then, as if wondering why he was still standing behind the counter, so he slipped it around the cup. He punched his break into the time clock, then quickly swiped his own debit card to buy two muffins.

“That’s a good one,” Rhett said, nodding at the book Link held in his hands. Rhett was a sucker for self-help books, especially ones about the mind and the Ego. He placed a muffin in front of Link, and the drink he’d purchased.

“Oh, I didn’t…” Link started to say, his eyes darting to the muffin Rhett was placing in front of him.

“It’s on the house,” Rhett said simply, like buying customers muffins was something he did all the time instead of something that made him incredibly nervous. He got his nerve up, took a deep breath. “Do you mind if I join you? My break just started and there aren’t really any empty tables.” There  _ were  _ empty tables, and if Link looked around, he could probably pinpoint two or three places Rhett could sit for his break. And heck, there was a back room for a reason. Rhett could take his break there if Link shot him down.

“Sure, yeah, that’d be great.” Link’s genuine smile as he placed his bookmark in his book, setting it aside, made it clear to Rhett that he wasn’t just humoring him, but genuinely didn’t mind the company.

“I’m Rhett. Like Brett, but without the B.” Rhett had to clarify, knowing everyone always heard his name wrong.

“It’s nice to meet, you, Rhett.” Link fidgeted with his cup, twirling the sleeve on it. Rhett’s breath caught in his throat. Link was sure to see the message, and Rhett feared that it would end their conversation early. Instead, Link’s eyes scanned the message and he smiled and blushed. Rhett couldn’t help but notice the red in his cheeks, and he took that paired with the fact that Link didn’t ask him to leave as encouragement.

“I’ve never seen you around here before. New to the area?”

“No, I’m new to, well, I’m new to actually buying coffee from a coffee shop.” Link was quiet, like he was almost apologetic for stopping in. Rhett hadn’t meant to call him out on buying coffee, instead happy that he was coming in.

“Yeah, I get that.” Rhett tried to smooth it over, in case he’d offended Link. “It can get kind of expensive or whatever, a lot of folks like to just make their own at home.” Rhett kicked himself. He was implying Link was cheap? That wasn’t going to go over well. “But with the right touch, it can really be some great stuff, y’know?”  _ God,  _ Rhett thought, just digging himself deeper. In minutes he’d implied that Link coming in often was noticeable (it was), implied he was cheap, and then implied he wasn’t capable of making good coffee. “I’d like to think that someday I’ll make it well enough to inspire people to keep coming in.” Rhett was stumbling over his words now. Sure, put an attractive man in front of him who had been buying his coffee the past few days, and now he’s inadvertently insulting him trying to make good conversation. He figured he’d never see Link again after this.

“If this is any indication of what you can create, then you definitely inspire me to come back. What is this, anyway?” Link didn’t seem offended at all, instead complimenting Rhett, and Rhett felt a small flutter of joy and panic rise in his chest. Joy that Link liked it, and panic that after Link hadn’t minded, he’d keep digging until Link got annoyed with him.  

“It’s a blackberry white mocha. It isn’t on the menu, but it’s my favorite drink.” Rhett had spent plenty of time experimenting with the different syrups they had on offer. The blackberry was usually reserved for their handmade Italian sodas, but once he discovered how magical it could taste in a white mocha, he became obsessed with it. He checked the clock on the wall. In their conversation, fifteen minutes had flown by. “I have to get back to work now,” Rhett said as he stood. “But I hope I’ll see you again sometime.” Rhett meant it. He genuinely hoped that Link would come back again.

As he started to walk away, to punch back in, he heard Link behind him.

“Rhett, wait!” He turned in time to see Link capping a pen before handing him the cardboard sleeve from his cup. Rhett thanked him, walked away as he read the number on the sleeve. Beneath it, there was a note. “The coffee is incredible, but I’ve been coming here because of you.” It was a wonder that Rhett didn’t pass out right there on the spot.

* * *

 

Rhett McLaughlin flirted with a customer every single day, sometimes twice a day.

Before work, Link would stop in to see him, and he always asked for his new favorite drink, the one Rhett had recommended, the blackberry white mocha. Sometimes on Link’s lunch break, he’d stop in again and get the same drink, this time decaf. Rhett loved it-- it was like Link couldn’t stay away for long, couldn’t resist seeing him. Rhett adapted to the schedule quickly, asking his supervisor if he could have his lunch breaks around the time Link would come in.

“Sure, go ‘head,” she would say, and Rhett would clock out, slip outside with Link’s drink in hand, and they’d hold hands, leaned against the building, just talking. One day, Rhett got the nerve up to give Link a small peck on the cheek before heading back inside to work. The next day, Link pulled him in for a kiss, an actual one after over a week of lunches spent together. Rhett told Link about the new drinks he was experimenting with, the new flavors he was trying to blend.

“I think if I can somehow get the spiciness from the pumpkin spice syrup to match with the mintiness of peppermint mochas, I may be able to create a drink that can last for months. I’m still tweaking it, though. It tastes awful right now.”

“I love hearing you talk about things you’re so passionate about,” Link sighed softly, a smile on his lips as Rhett gave him their standard quick kiss before returning back to work.

On their first actual date, one where they’d met each other somewhere other than the coffeeshop, Rhett told Link how much he’d love to have a coffee shop someday.

“If you ever need any help with design, I can do that.” Link was a whiz at designing, making menus and graphics for a big firm. He shared his dreams of working in small, local design, getting rid of the cold corporate design life and going for something more passion-based, like creating logos for non-profit organizations. For now, he did the corporate design thing, though, and it worked for him.

On their subsequent dates, Rhett shared details on how he’d been saving up for the coffee shop for years. He’d placed every tip he got into the Shop Fund jar that sat on his dresser, and as Link leaned his head on his shoulder after time spent quietly together, he’d kiss Link’s silver strands of hair. Before leaving, he noticed that Link always lingered, slipping spare change into the jar whenever he thought Rhett wasn’t looking.

As Rhett explained everything about how he wanted the shop to look, the ideas he had for designs, Link would smile and nod. He thought for a bit that talking endlessly about his dreams might be boring to Link. He made a mental note to dial it back on their six month anniversary. Link had asked for something low-key, just a night together, cuddling on the couch and eating Thai food. Rhett dodged around the topic, trying to bite his tongue.

“I have something for you,” Link smiled, standing to dig through his messenger bag for a folder. He passed it to Rhett. Inside were menu mockups, a logo, a coffee sleeve print. It was everything they’d talked about, all of Rhett’s ideas, brought to life in hard copy. Rhett was stunned, in awe of the hard work Link had put in after listening to Rhett’s outlandish dreams. Rhett wondered what his life might be like, how empty and monotonous it might be, if Link hadn’t walked into the coffee shop on the cold rainy day months earlier.

When Rhett moved in with Link, they saved up together, the shop fund jar moving to Link’s dresser. Rhett put every dime of the rent he saved from living with Link into the jar, and Link did the same. They talked about how they’d buy a coffee shop first, a house later. Priorities. 

* * *

 

Rhett Neal-McLaughlin doesn’t flirt with customers.

He does, however, flirt with the designer that is always found perched in the corner, his laptop open as he works on something for whatever nonprofit or local business he’s designing something for this week. But Rhett figures when that designer is his husband, flirting is probably acceptable.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's start at the beginning. Rhett spies a cute, mysterious new customer while working as a Barista, but he's jaded and knows it'll never happen. Can Chase and Stevie convince him to pursue the man that might just be the guy for him? Probably not. Link Neal doesn't buy overpriced coffee, and Rhett McLaughlin doesn't flirt with customers... it'll never work out.

Rain has a crazy way of making people do the strangest things. There’s something about the cool feeling of rain on your skin, or seeing it slide down a windowpane, that makes people seek warmth, comfort when they see it. Sometimes, that comfort can be found in a hot, steaming cup of coffee. Other times, it’s in genuine connection with another soul. So even though someone might have a personal policy against something-- whether that something is buying overpriced coffee or flirting with customers-- the rain usually has something else in mind.

Link Neal knew it was entirely the rain’s fault when he ducked in to get coffee on a rainy Thursday morning. It was cold, and coffee was warm. He made some at home, but something about standing by the bus stop in a soaking, chilling rain didn’t seem appealing, especially not when he’d forgotten his umbrella. Without wanting to wait outside any longer than he had to, he stepped inside Perk Me Up, figuring waiting in line for a few minutes, getting coffee, would kill some time and let him wait for the bus in the warmth. As soon as he stepped inside, he knew he’d made a decent decision. A fireplace crackled in the corner of the coffee house, and the furnace was on. He didn’t like paying so much for coffee, but in his mind, he justified that he was paying for the ambiance, not the beverage. Link tapped his foot gently, not out of impatience, but in time with the soft music being piped through the overhead speakers.

His phone buzzed. It was an email from a client his boss had assigned to him, one he knew was a nightmare to work with. As he opened it, he scanned the email quickly.  _ Dang it. _ It was clear he had a lot of edits to make, many of them undoing things the client had requested in the first place against his better judgment. He also scrolled through the list of new requests for the next phase.

_ Really? Scriptina? Not happening.  _ Why clients always tried to select the most overused fonts, he’d never understand. Papyrus, Scriptina, Helvetica, they were all overused. Seeing them on signs or business cards made him cringe. Over the top of his phone, he saw the person in front of him step forward, so he did as well. He made a mental note to seek out a font that was similar to Scriptina, but less cliche. Maybe Shipped Goods or Mottana Thin, Link thought. He wanted to make the client happy, but he also cringed at the idea of producing work that he knew wouldn’t be on par with what he  _ could  _ do.

Rhett noticed a nervous man tapping away at his phone. Nothing should have stood out to him-- he was just a normal customer, impatiently waiting for his turn in line, tapping his foot on the ground as he seemed to check the time. Somehow, though, Rhett was drawn to him, feeling some inescapable pull to keep stealing glances. He tried to stuff it down, tried to focus on telling Chase which drinks were up next.

“What are you looking at?” Chase came close enough to try to follow Rhett’s gaze, and so only Rhett would hear him whispering the words under his breath.

“Nothing,” Rhett snapped, but his cheeks could never lie, betraying him with a small smile and a soft blush that he tried to stop in its tracks.

“Come on, tell me, where is he? You’re such a bad liar. I want to see!” Chase bounced a little on his feet like an over-excited, way over-caffeinated child. Rhett just shook his head, refusing. Chase wasn’t used to Rhett being so distracted by a guest. He headed to the blender, looking over his shoulder to see Rhett darting his eyes up and back down, then back up. It was clear now where he was looking, his eyes following a lanky man in a black graphic tee with a wolf on the front. He was tall, but not as tall as Rhett. He was cute, the kind of guy that Chase might go for if Rhett hadn’t spotted him first. But since Rhett had, and finally seemed interested in someone, Chase was determined to convince Rhett to make a move.

“He’s cute,” Chase said quietly, as he passed the Chocolate Blendie to the girl across the counter. She’d been eyeing Chase until she heard his comment about the man in line. Chase instantly realized his slip-up, so he closed with a wink at the girl. She rolled her eyes and walked away.

“Shut up,” Rhett said under his breath. “I’m sure I’m not his  _ type. _ ”

“Look at how he’s dressed. Isn’t it obvious?” Chase raised his eyebrows at Rhett as he steamed milk for another customer.

“They’re just clothes. That doesn’t mean anything.” Rhett asked for the next customer’s order as Chase looked down at his own rolled jeans and graphic tee.  _ Like hell it doesn’t _ . 

“Do what I do when there’s a cute customer. Put a tiny heart on his cup. If he’s not into you, he’ll just assume you do it on all the cups, like a little signature. If he  _ is  _ into you, it’ll let him know you’re game.”

“You do that often enough that it  _ could  _ be a friggin’ signature, man,” Rhett snarked, not needing Chase’s explanation. He’d seen the little heart move at least twice a day every day, it seemed like. Chase was relentless. But Chase couldn’t respond, couldn’t rebut Rhett’s jab, because suddenly, there he was. He seemed lost in his own world, still looking down at his phone like he hadn’t realized he was at the counter quite yet. Rhett cleared his throat a few times, then touched Link’s arm gently, a graze of the fingers, before Link looked up.

Link startled, then sputtered out an order that felt like a question. Rhett checked a single box on the large cup… coffee. Chase looked at him, and Rhett shook his head gently. He was not getting into this right now, wasn’t chatting up a customer who had barely choked out his three word order.

“Switch,” Chase demanded. Rhett stood his ground, writing the customer’s name on the cup. Link. But Chase forced his way between Rhett and the register, giving Rhett no choice but to move, to prepare the drink. Rhett sighed. Chase was refusing to let him off the hook with this one, so getting the coffee was on him. Luckily, it was an easy order. He stood there, frozen, the pen still in his hand. He took a deep breath, took Chase’s advice, and drew the tiniest of hearts on the cup. It looked like an awkward, misshapen blob, like Rhett had accidentally pressed a dot on the cup in the wrong place. He nearly left it like that, let it go, but he impulsively re-shaped it, trying again, and this time it actually looked like a heart. He poured the cup of coffee and passed it across the counter to Link.

For half a second, those blue eyes locked on his, and he felt a flutter in his stomach, like there might have been a connection there. But before he could open his mouth, actually say something, Link was heading back into the pouring rain.

“Did he say anything about the heart?” Chase pressed, switching places with Rhett again. It only made it more obvious that Chase had no interest in the register; he’d just wanted Rhett to  _ have  _ to say something to Link, something Rhett had failed miserably at.

“No,” Rhett said, turning to see his favorite regular customer, decked out in a cool, thin paisley blouse like the soaking rain magically wouldn’t touch her.

“Bummer,” Chase muttered. “He’ll be back.” Rhett shot a glare that said no, he definitely wouldn’t. Rhett knew his regular customers and he knew what opportunists who stopped in once just to get out of the rain looked like. Link was a one-time-only kind of guy.

“Hi, Stevie.” Rhett turned his attention back to his favorite customer. “Large mocha, soy milk, no whip?” He gave her a smile, as much as he could muster with the random sinking feeling he felt. Why did he take Chase’s advice? What if Link thought he was a creep? What if he would have come back, but didn’t because the heart was too weird.

“You know me well, Rhett,” she replied. He punched the order in, and Stevie was prepared with exact change before he could finish tapping it in. She dropped a few extra dollars into the tip jar with a nod and smile. “How’s the saving going? Any closer to the goal?”

“Yeah, I’m getting closer. I’m hoping sometime in the next five years or so.” Five years felt like forever, but he thanked his lucky stars that he was getting closer to having a coffee shop at all, even if it took him forever. But his mind couldn’t stay off of Link, wondering if he’d noticed the heart yet, wondering if it was too much.

Stevie headed over, leaning against the counter as she waited for her drink.

“What’s shakin’, Chase?”

“Nothing, just dealing with grumpy pants over there.” Chase hooked his thumb toward Rhett, who had already moved on to the next order. It didn’t stop Rhett from overhearing their conversation, and Stevie giggled as Rhett shot them both a look.  _ Shut up. Shut up shut up shut up. _

“Why’s he so distracted today?” Stevie implored, but Rhett couldn’t hear the answer to her question as he focused on the order at hand.  _ If he told her, I swear to god I’ll smack him with a whipped cream cannister. _ The last thing Rhett wanted was for anyone to know he’d broken his own rule… flirting with a customer.  _ At least I’ll never see him again. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to Killthenaughtyboy for the encouragement to continue this story, and for their donation to ALS research. Thanks also to clemwasjustagirl/shewasjustagirl for reading and editing this chapter and catching my mistakes.

**Author's Note:**

> Mostly because the world needs more Manbun Rhett.
> 
> Leak/Link and Brett without the B is from Episode 2 of Good Mythical Morning, "Strangest Name in History."


End file.
